Device for tradesmen s use



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T; L. BRISTOL. DEVICE 30R TRADESMENS USE.

No. 527,589. PatentedOot. 16, 1-894,.

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Patented 0ct.'16 1894.

UEUUUUUU EH DEDQUUU TLLPBRIST'OL. DEVICE FOR TRADESMENS USE.

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.. M ,1 iw i Y L an m A I 7 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

THEODORE L. RRIsTOL, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR 'TRADWESMENVS USE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 527,589, dated October16, 1894.

1 Application filed January 5, 1894. Serial No. 495,811. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, THEODORE L. BRISTOL, of Ansonia, in" the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Device forTradesmens Use; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with accompanying drawings and the let ters and figures ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, in-

' Figure 1, a perspective view of a device for tradesmens useconstructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan Viewthereof.

with its top removed; Fig. 3, a broken view in vertical section on alarger scale, showing the circuit-closers of the guard and moneydrawerin their relation to their contact pieces; Fig. 4, a plan view of thedevice with the top and guard removed; Fig. 5, a viewof the device invertical central section; Fig. 6, a broken sectional view showing theguard in its retracted position in which its openings are aligned withthe slots in the cover of the,

box; Fig. 7, a detail View showing the springs engaged with the innerend of the guard for operating the same in its inward movement, andholding it in its closed position; Fig. 8, a detached perspective viewof one of the ticket trays; Fig. 9, a detached plan view of one of thetickets.

My invention relates to an improved device for the use of tradesmen, theobject being to 1 with a number of slots at, which, as shown, are

arranged in parallel straight lines, with suflicient space between themto accommodate the names ofthe customers, or numbers or charactersidentifying the same. For convenience of illustration I have shown thein-- ner row of slots as designated by numbers of tin, inclosed inalight frame B. I would have it understood, however, that the guard maybe made entirely of metal or of wood, or

of any other material that will answer the purpose; This guard isprovided with a series of openings b, a little larger than the slots atin the top of the case, but arranged in correspondence therewith.Normally however the openings b are out of line with the slots ain thetop of the boxor case. The outward movement of the guard-is limited bymeans of spring-stops O 0 located in clearance slots cc, formed in thesides of the case, the said stops being arranged'to exert a constanteffort to spring inward into stop-notches b b'formed in the side piecesof the frame .B of the guard. When the guard is pulled outthe top A ofthe case has at its inner edge five large slots a, formed in it, andthat the guard has five corresponding large slots 6 formed in it. Theextreme inner edge of the guard is furnished with openings 12 receivingsprings DD, which draw it inward after it has been drawn out, and ,holdity in its normal position in which its openings are out of line withthe-slots in the top A of the case. This outer edge of the guard. isconstructed with a handle 13 of any approved construction. V

Directly below the guard I locate a compartment drawer E, having handlesE E, and constructed with a number of compartments e, corresponding inarrangement to the slots a in the cover of the case, and to the openingsb in the guard, and with five large compartments e corresponding to theslots a in the top of the case, and to the openings 1) in the guard. Thesaid compartmentdrawer is ordinarily secured by a lock E It will beunderstood from the foregoing construction that the guard is interposedbepreference I place a small sheet-metal tray F in each compartment ofthe box, and con struct the upper end of each tray with a hook fadapting it to be engaged with the inter secting partitions which formthe compart- 5 ments, in such a manner that it is easily removed fromthe compartment drawer. Preferably also I employ small tickets G,adapted to be piled upon the trays, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. I do nothowever limit myself to to the use of such trays or tickets. Directlybelow the compartment-drawer I locate a cashdrawer H, provided with ahandle H, of any approved construction.

For the purpose of calling attention to the r 5 fact that a sale hasbeen made and the guard operated, and the money-drawer opened andclosed, I provide for ringing a bell, so that the customer and theproprietor, in case he is in some other part of the store, may know whatis going on, and a check be put upon the clerk if he is not honest. Tothis end I locate upon the lower face of one of the side pieces of theframe B of the guard a double sheet-metal circuit-closer I, the ends ofwhich enter recesses t 2' formed in the said sidepiece. Thiscurcuit-closer co-operates with the contact pieces J and J, set into theshoulder J 2 within the box on which the said side-piece runs. The saidcontact-pieces are located in an electric circuit containing a bell K,which is situated in the lower part of the box. Normally the inner endof the circuitcloser engages with the contact -p1ate J, while its outerend stands inside of the plate J. Then when the guide is drawn outward,the said outer end of the circuit closer engages with the said plate Jbefore its inner end breaks with the plate J. The circuit is there: foreclosed and the bell sounded, but only momentarily,for the continuedoutward movement of the guard soon causes the inner end of thecircuit-closer to break with the contactplate J. It will be understoodthat the closing of the circuit and the ringing of the bell 5 isefiected during the outward movement of the guide, and before the samehas been brought into the position in which its openings register withthe slots in the top of the box. Vt hen the slide is allowed to returnto its normal position, the movement of the circuit-closer is reversed,and the bell again sounded momentarily, after which the circuit 1 isbroken, and the circuit-closer left in the position first mentioned. Itwill thus be seen 5 5 that every time the guard is operated the bellwill be sounded twice.

By preference I shall sound the same bell twice, once to indicate theopening of the drawer, and once to indicate the closing of the same. Tothis end the drawer is provided with a double sheet-metal circuit-closerL, the opposite ends of which engage with contact plates M and M, setinto a ledge m located in the bottom of the box for the drawer to runupon. The said plates M and M are also located in the circuit of thebell, and they co-operate .with their circuit-closer .L in the samemanner that the plates .T and J co-operate with the circuitcloser I ofthe slide. The wiring of the device is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings,and being very simple, is thought not to require detailed explanation.

Having thus described the construction of my improved device I willproceed to state how it is employed. When a customer whose name ornumber appears upon the top of the box against one of the slots therein,makes a purchase, the amount of the same is written down upon a smallticket which is then inserted into the right slot, being prevented fromdropping into the compartment correspondin g to that slot by the guard.The clerk after having put the ticket in the right slot, draws the guardout until its openings are registered with theslots,thuspermittingtheticket to fall into the right compartment in the compartment drawer.After this the guard is allowed to go back to its normal position, inwhich communication between the slots and compartments is cutoff, asbefore explained. It should be remembered too that the bell has now beenrung twice, once while the drawer was being pulled outward, and oncewhile it was returning to its normal position. The money received fromthe transaction is put into the money-drawer, the opening and closing ofwhich will cause the bell to ring twice. Every night the compartmentdrawer is opened and all of the tickets which have accumulated in itduring the day are entered into a petty cash-book under the names of therespective customers. Then at the end of the month the cash transactionsof each customer are footed up, and he is given credit for a certain sumwhich represents a discount on the total sum of his cash purchasesduring themonth.

Of course my improved device is not limited to use in the manner aboveindicated, for it may be used in connection with any system or plan oftrading to which it is applicable. I would also have it understood thatI do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of partsherein shown and described, but hold myself atliberty to make suchchanges and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of myinvention. For instance the vertically ar ranged springs D D employedfor operating the guard might be replaced by a horizontally arrangedspring attached at its ends to the guard, and midway of its length tothe box,

or vice-versa. Instead, also, of employing one bell, I might employ twobells, differing in tone, so that the ear would detect whether thedrawer or guard was being operated.

I am aware that a box provided with a series of compartments having atop constructed with openings corresponding in number to the set ofcompartments into which they open, and with a guard provided with acorresponding series of openings, and adapted to close the openings inthe top of the box, is

old. I am also aware that it is old to com necta bell with a moneydrawer so that it will be sounded thereby;

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for tradesmens use, the combination with a box having afixed top constructed with a series of slots, of a compartment drawerlocated within the box, containing compartments corresponding to thesaid slots, and adapted to be drawn out for access to the compartments,and a sliding guard mounted in the box and interposed between its fixedslotted top and the compartment drawer, containing openingscorresponding to the slots and compartments, but normally located out ofline with the slots so as to interrupt communication between them, andadapted to be drawn out to establish direct communication through itsopenings between the said slots and compartments, substantially asdescribed. 2. In a device for trademens use, the combination with a boxhaving a fixed top or cover constructed with a series of slots,of acompartment drawer located within the box containing a series ofcompartments corresponding to the slots, and adapted to be drawn out foraccess to its compartments, asliding guard mounted in the box interposedbetween the fixed slotted top thereof and the said compartment drawer,and having openings formed in it to correspond with the slots andcompartments, but normally located out of, line with the former, andadapted to be drawn out to establish direct communcation between theslots and compartments through its openings, an electric circuitincluding a ,bell, a double circuit-closer secured to the sliding guardand contact plates arranged within the box so that the circuit is closedwhen the guard is drawn outward, and also when it is moved inward, andbroken be- 'tween its said movements, substantially as and compartments,but normally locatedout of line with the slots, and adapted to .be drawnout to establish direct communication through its openings between theslots and compartments, a money drawer located below the compartmentdrawer, an-electric circuit including a bell, circuit closing devicesapplied to the sliding guard and to the money drawer respectively, andcontact plates arranged within the box for engagement by the saidcircuit closers, so that the bell will be rung twice every time eitherthe guard or the money drawer is operated, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses. I THEODORE L. BRISTOL.

. Witnesses:

LUIN B. SWITZER, HOWARD F. NORTH.

